This application relates to optimizing vehicle loading operations.
Efficiently loading goods onto transportation vehicles at a warehouse can be a complex problem, especially if goods are to be transported to a large number of locations with one vehicle on a single trip.
Typically, the goods are taken out from the warehouse by one person and placed somewhere in a staging zone near the rear side of the vehicle which is designated to transport the goods. The goods are then picked up and loaded onto the vehicle by the same or another person.
Before reaching their respective ultimate destinations, the goods may be unloaded at an intermediate location, and again loaded onto another means of transport for being shipped towards the destination. These operations may be repeated several times until the goods reach their ultimate destinations.
If the vehicle is not loaded efficiently, unloading the vehicle at the ultimate destination may become complicated especially if the vehicle has only one door, and the goods are loaded such that they are not directly accessible at any time.
A problem arises when there are several goods which have to be transported to several different locations with one vehicle.
In that case, it is of importance how the goods are positioned in the vehicle.